Kitara’s remarkable defensive resilience and unbeaten streak finally cracked as BUL snatched a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Nakivubo Stadium on Thursday.
Jerome Kirya’s strike eight minutes into the second half proved to be the difference, handing BUL their fourth win in five matches and condemning Kitara to their first league defeat since November.
Abbey Kikomeko’s men, playing at a neutral venue due to ongoing renovations at Njeru, approached the game cautiously in the first half, wary of Kitara’s well-drilled defensive unit that had kept 10 consecutive clean sheets.
The first 45 minutes offered little attacking spectacle, with both sides struggling to break down compact defenses.
The breakthrough finally came in the 53rd minute when Hillary Onek delivered a well-weighted ball into the box, and Kirya pounced with a composed finish past Kitara’s in-form goalkeeper Chrispus Kusiima.
Kitara responded with urgency, pushing more bodies forward in search of an equaliser, but their numerous efforts to turn the game around had no viable results.
The result saw BUL tighten their grip on third place with 32 points, four ahead of Kitara, who remain fourth with 28. The Royals will look to bounce back when they welcome Mbarara City, while BUL host URA in their next fixture.
